How Many IPL Treatments Are Needed Before I See Results? (2024)

FAQs

How Many IPL Treatments Are Needed Before I See Results? ›

The results of IPL treatments are cumulative, which means you will need more than one session to attain your ideal appearance. Depending on your goals, we usually recommend four to six IPL appointments spaced four weeks apart. This timing will allow ample time for your body's natural cell turnover process to occur.

Most patients are recommended to undergo at least three sessions of IPL therapy scheduled at four-week intervals. While the four-week intervals may seem arbitrary, they are in fact specifically timed match the skin's natural regeneration process.

In general, patients can expect to see some improvement in their skin after the first session of IPL treatment. However, the full results may take several weeks or even months to become visible.

Best Tips to Prepare

The treatment area mustn't be tanned or exposed to direct sunlight two weeks before your procedure. Sun exposure encourages the production of melanin, which can interfere with your IPL's results. Be sure to use an SPF of 30 or higher even when stepped outside for a brief period of time.

You'll know the treatment is working when your hair grows out slower and finer. This usually happens after the fourth session. Others have also noticed hair shedding more easily and falling out more frequently than before after IPL treatment and shaving becomes easier.

Unfortunately, IPL doesn't work for everyone. IPL technology requires contrast between hair and skin to work its magic since it targets pigment in the hair follicle. Does IPL work for your skin tone? If you have light blonde, red, or gray hair, or if your skin tone is very dark, IPL may not be a good fit for you.

It is impossible to avoid all sun exposure and so even with the best of skin care and protection, new brown spots may emerge gradually over time. Proper skin care and protection is the only thing standing between you and appearance of future brown spots.

While IPL is especially useful for reduction of pigmentation in the skin, the heat it generates can stimulate cell turnover and collagen production in the skin This can have the effect of tightening areas of loose, crepey or lax skin and smoothing fine wrinkles.

The important thing to remember about laser treatments like this one is that the results will appear gradually as old skin cells are shed and collagen production in the skin increases. For most, that means it takes about one to two weeks before you will see the results of your first treatment.

Should I moisturize after an IPL? ›

Moisturizing your skin is essential after IPL. Use a gentle moisturizing cream multiple times each day to keep your skin comfortable and moisturized. Skin hydration doesn't only come from the surface, either. Drink lots of water to moisturize your skin from the inside out.

The skin's heightened vulnerability post-treatment means that retinol could cause irritation or hinder the healing process. Therefore, it's best to give your skin time to recover before reintroducing retinol or other potent skincare ingredients into your routine.

IPL is also something that you don't want to be using too often. For this reason, we advise our clients that anything beyond 12 treatments within a 12 month period is far too much. Like any light based treatment, IPL is a form of radiation so you want to make sure you are not overexposing your skin.

IPL hair removal is a progressive treatment that offers full body hair removal - but you can use IPL to treat separate areas, such as your arms, legs, or pubic area, depending on your individual needs. When using IPL, you'll hold a flashgun device that delivers a spectrum of light to the skin.

But how frequently you'll need to use your IPL device depends on the area you're treating and the device you use. Lumi IPL hair removal is certified to deliver long-term hair removal after just 12 uses, but chances are you'll start to see a serious reduction in hair growth after just 3 or 4.

IPL isn't going to make every single hair on your legs (or bikini line, or wherever) permanently vanish, but both in-office treatments and many quality at-home IPL devices are FDA-approved for permanent hair reduction. You may need a few sessions to see results, though, and IPL treatments aren't for everyone.

Neither treatment is permanent permanent, but the results for both IPL and laser hair removal can last for months, and both devices are FDA-approved for reducing the amount of hair regrowth over time. The IPL treatment might save you some discomfort compared to laser, though.

We recommend three IPL treatments performed one to two months apart initially and then one to two treatments per year thereafter as maintenance. While you should start to see some great results after the first IPL session, the best outcomes occur after several treatments.